HUSD is ready for the new school year

At Holbrook Junior High School where Dr. Jeri McKinnon is principal it was noted that so far there are 394 students enrolled, a total that includes 202 girls and 192 boys. It was noted that the student ratio at the school averages 25 students per teacher.

At Hulet Elementary School where Kevin Fosburgh serves as principal, there is a total enrollment of 305 students. The goals listed for students are for the Native American population, noting that by May of next year, 34 percent of the Native American students, which make up over 45 percent of the student body, will be proficient on the AzMERIT in English language arts, 31 percent will be proficient in the math and writing and language portions of the test.

At Park Elementary School where Connie McPherson is principal, there are a total of 229 students currently enrolled, which has declined steadily since the 2014-15 school year when there were 310 students at the school. There are an average of 23 students per class at the school.

At Indian Wells Elementary School where Andrea Tomlin serves as principal, there are a total of 412 students, with 99.5 percent of those students Native American and the remaining .5 percent Caucasian. Of that population, 218 are boys and 194 are girls.

A public meeting was held prior to the regular meeting regarding the district’s Indian Education Policy. There was no discussion from the public on the matter.

In other business, the board:

* Authorized the hiring of special needs paraprofessionals throughout the school year, as needed, when these positions are required by a student’s IEP.

* Approved the Teacher/Educational

Specialist/Leadership Effectiveness Performance Evaluation Systems for the 2018-2019 school year.

* Approved the support staff evaluation form.

* Approved qualified evaluators for the 2018-2019 school year.

* Approved Dobridge & Company P.C. for the annual audit for the 2018-2019 school year.

* Approved for first reading a policy revision outlining changes to the “sick bank” to include the guidelines for requesting leave from the “sick bank” as per Proposition 206.

* Approved for first reading a policy revision outlining the requirements for admission for nonresident foreign students who are in an exchange program.

* Approved for first reading a policy revision regarding responsible use policy for students when using district technology resources.

* Approved for first reading a policy revision to include new recess requirements for students in grades kindergarten through third grade this year and for students in fourth and fifth grades beginning next year.

* Approved for first reading a policy revision regarding requirements for admitting students in foster care into school.

* Approved for first reading a policy revision that updates the policy to reflect new statutes pertaining to school employees that may have a substantial interest in the operations of school district business operations that may present a conflict of interest. The policy revision includes annual training and required signatures for disclosure of conflict of interests but removes the five day requirement as recommended at the July 10, 2018, Governing Board meeting.

* Approved an agreement with the Winslow Indian Health Care Center to provide programs for methamphetamine and suicide prevention.

* Approved the 2018-2019 Beyond Textbooks agreement with the Vail Unified School District.

* Approved the Peacemaking Memorandum of Understanding between the Judicial Branch of the Navajo Nation and the district.

* Approved Annie Lewis to complete her speech and language pathology assistant practicum in the district during the 2018-2019 school year.

* Approved a Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) extra duty job description. The HVAC extra duty position would increase the rate of pay for employees that are trained in HVAC.

* Approved the Quality vs. Quantity Differential Pay Stipend administrative procedure. The administrative procedure is being updated to spread the differential pay over all four quarters at a lower rate of ($375/$63) than the current practice of three quarters at a higher rate ($500/$83). This will allow those teachers that start the year with larger class sizes to be recognized for the larger class sizes and spread the total potential earned over four quarters rather than three quarters.

* Approved a delegate to represent the district at the Arizona School Boards Association Delegate Assembly on Sept. 8.

* Approved the support staff employment of Desiree Brewer, Holbrook High School special needs; LynnDee McLaws, Indian Wells Elementary School special needs signing aide and high needs para professional; Pat Freeland, transfer from Hulet Elementary School high needs to Holbrook Junior High School high needs para professional; Phil Cobb, special education substitute; Dallon Laird, cafeteria student worker; Savannah White, satellite cafeteria worker, central kitchen prep; Kreslie Hawk, Hulet Elementary School special education assistant; Kellie Stanton, cafeteria student worker; Tawnya Lindsey, IWES special education high needs paraprofessional; Lori Turley, Phenix School special education assistant; Corbin Charlie, student bus monitor.

Colleen Teigh, HHS special education assistant; Lisa Larson, Hulet and Park elementary schools preschool aide; Eugene Dixson, substitute custodian; Isabella Duran, Park Elementary School library assistant; Victoria Cooley and Cathy Mora, both substitute cafeteria workers; Heather Gardner, district student worker; Kassandra Grabowski, Park and Hulet elementary schools A-Team; Mary Begay, bus driver; Cassandra Yazzie, support services student worker; Ramon Ledezma and Sharon James, substitute custodians; Yolanda Wilson, IWES bus aide; Debbie McKee, HHS ticket taker; David Hager, Northern Arizona Vocational Institute of Technology bus driver; Henry Jackson, part-time maintenance at IWES; and Derek Bitsilly, bus monitor.

* Approved the support staff resignation of Winona Gilmer, bus driver; Tyson Begay, support services student worker; Jamie McPherson, HHS special needs assistant; Crystal Dickson, bus driver; Thomas Gilmer, bus driver; Wyatt McLaws, cafeteria student worker; Nora Aguilera, cafeteria worker; Nichole Gohl, computer services student worker; and Gabriel Gabaldon, facilities student worker.

* Approved the job termination of Guadalupe Baldonado, bus monitor; and Yolanda Wilson, IWES bus aide.

* Approved the certified staff employment of Sue Wischmann and Chris Symancyk, substitute teachers; Stephanie Bifano, substitute nurse; Sue Hayden, substitute teacher and tester; Linda Fox, Allison Gardner, Barry Silverstein, Patty Tubbs, Novlyn Wilhelm, Cayla Serna, Ty Hatch, Peggy Reid, Lelia Demuth, Francis Ambrose, George Webster, Shella Flake and Larry Hayes, each as ESI substitute teachers; Ciara Brown, IWES long-term substitute; Faith Caffey, HHS English interventionist; Sue Hayden, special education services assessment assistant; and Rick Hurst, HHS Title II Math interventionist.

* Approved extra duty for Heidi Hunsaker, Park Performers; Charles Haussman, HHS testing coordinator; Kyle Gardner, auditorium manager; Brian Gohl and Michael Burks, auditorium technicians; Walter Ray McLaws, Fresh Fruits and Vegetables; Nathan Adams, HJHS musical; Beth Plumb and Joy Burroughs, HJHS student council sponsors; Sandra Carlisle, Hulet Mentor; Saraphania Benally, Hulet Elementary School detention monitor stipend; Dee Dunaway, Park Elementary School mentor; Kendall Bakurza and Zane Morgan, HHS assistant football; Melody Myers, IWES preschool First Things First coordinator; Loren Silver, HJHS 7th grade assistant football; Beth Plumb, HJHS head 8th grade volleyball coach and 7th grade assistant softball.

Tim Eddings, IWES head football coach; Stephanie Bridagam, IWES Fresh Fruits and Vegetables; Hoby Wilhelm, IWES cross country assistant; John McDaniels, HJHS 8th grade head football; Krista Smith, Gretchen Madison and Teri Tafoya, each as JHS ticket taker; Nicole Moyte. Park Performers assistant; Myron Bitahy, IWES assistant cross country; Erik Carlson, HHS Johnson O’Malley 8th hour credit recovery; Shirley Yazzie, Ramie Hatch and Jerald Nez, HHS Title I after school math tutors; Dee Dunaway and Jessica Hubbard, Park Elementary School after school intervention; and Laurie Jones, Daisy Gohl and Brian Gohl, transportation trainers and/or drivers.

* Approved volunteers Chelsea Hager and Alaya Darling, HHS Spiritline; Mark Oberriter, HHS assistant football; Shantina Kinlicheenie, HHS assistant volleyball and assistant girls basketball; Tony Aguilera, HHS head boys soccer; Larry Hayes, HHS head football coach; Zachary Reyes, HJHS assistant football coach; Terri Lester, IWES assistant cross country; Ryan Attakai, IWES head cross country coach; Shane McGraw, HJHS assistant football; Scott Baker, HJHS 8th grade head softball coach and HHS head softball coach; Don Tyler, HHS assistant football coach; Jeffery Jones, HHS assistant football coach; Gabriel Aguilera, HHS assistant soccer; Jesus Aguilera, HHS assistant soccer; and Ray Patterson, HJHS assistant softball.

* Authorized acceptance of a $1,000 donation from Auto Safety House, school supplies from Family Dollar,

$100 from the Cherry Bombs to be used to purchase socks and underwear for Park Elementary students, school supplies from Amber Pecotte and Family, and a $500 Supply My Class APS Teacher Award to Meagan Newton-Pender, classroom supplies from First Baptist Church.

* Approved professional leave for Ray McLaws, Flagstaff, Procurement/Director’s Track, July 18, at an estimated cost of use of a district vehicle; Ray McLaws, Phoenix, Employee Retention, July 25, at an estimated cost of use of a district vehicle; Carey Kester, Cary Simpson, Vicky Craig and Tobias Herndon, Scottsdale, Arizona Transition Conference, Aug. 27-29, at an estimated cost of $252.89, plus use of a district vehicle; Jeff Meeks, Litchfield Park, Arizona Department of Education Director’s Institute, Sept. 24-26, at an estimated cost of $943, plus use of a district vehicle.

Andrea Tomlin, Phoenix, Qualified Evaluator Training, Aug. 15-16, at an estimated cost of $728, plus use of a district vehicle; Teri White, Snowflake, Career Tech Meeting, July 26, at an estimated cost of $10, plus use of a district vehicle; Jeremy Madison, Tucson, 2018 Teacher Leadership Conference, Aug. 24-25, at an estimated cost of $593, plus use of a district vehicle; Jeff Meeks, Glendale, Social-Emotional Conference, Sept. 18-20, at an estimated cost of $440, plus use of a district vehicle; Kevin Fosburgh, Sherra Dunsmore and Dave Wright, Phoenix, Positive Behavior and Intervention Supports Tier 1, Sept. 6-7, at an estimated cost of $1,004, plus use of a district vehicle.

Donna Campbell, Show Low, Safetalk Suicide Prevention training, Aug. 30, at an estimated cost of use of a district vehicle; Stephanie Peters and Lona Haussman, Show Low, 2018 United Food Bank Partner Agency Conference, Aug. 27, at an estimated cost of use of a district vehicle; Kamron Reidhead, Glendale, Spencer’s Rods and Restorations, Aug. 27-28, at an estimated cost of $276; and Jeff Meeks, Snowflake, Northern Arizona Special Services Association-Arizona Department of Education directors meetings, Oct. 4, Nov. 1, Dec. 6, Jan. 10, Feb. 7, March 7, April 4 and May 2, at an estimated cost of use of a district vehicle.

* Approved expense and revolving fund vouchers totaling $40,023 and $421,054. Payroll and expense vouchers totaling $150,507.

* Approved a cookie dough fundraiser request by HHS volleyball with estimated earnings of $4,000.

* Approved policies pertaining to new requirements for posting budget information; revision updates to outline that any district employee who supervises or participates in contracts, purchases, claims or other financial transactions shall not accept or agree to accept personal gifts or benefits from vendors.

* Approved new guidelines for how the governing board shall make available, for public inspection, all information, all bids, proposals and qualifications submitted for bid invitations; as well as, the rationale for bid selections.

* Approved policies outlining how the governing board may delegate authority in writing to the superintendent to submit plans for new school facilities to the School Facility Board for the purpose of certifying that the plans meet the minimum school facility adequacy guidelines prescribed in A.R.S. 15-2011.